Yayati’s story is a famous one and I will let you read the
full story elsewhere. Here, I wish to summarize some famous passages from this
episode in Book 1, Adiparva, Section 84 onwards.
Yayati “borrows” youth from his youngest son, Puru, in
exchange for his old age and decrepitude so that he can enjoy the pleasures of
young age. After several years, when the allotted time was coming to an end, he
realized "how his desires were still not satisfied. He found himself craving for
more. He realized that satisfying the desires are like pouring melted butter
into the fire – it only makes the fire more intense. Man will never be
satisfied even if he is given all the produce and gems and precious stones of
this earth. He will never be content. Therefore, one should give up the thirst
for enjoyment. True happiness belongs only to those who give up desires for
worldly things". He concludes that “More important than youth are purity in
thought, action and speech”. He decides to caste off all his possessions and desires,
exchange his old age back from his son and go to meditate on Brahman.
Similar ideas are expressed in other classics too. The
following is from Uddhava Gita: 21:22/23. King Purvavasu, also called Ela,
realizes how blind he had become because of his attachment to Urvasi. He
wonders how can one get so attached to a perishable body. The mind gets
agitated only by its contact with sense organs and their objects, and not by
anything else. A mental wave (it may mean perceptions) is never produced by anything
that has not been seen or heard of. Therefore, the mind of a man who controls
his senses will gradually calm down and attain stillness and peace.
In his conversations with Indra, Yayati says: “Do not return
anger with anger. Do not hurt others with harsh words. The best of prayers is
to show kindness, friendliness and charity to all. Give always; never beg.
Happiness and misery are transient. Do not grieve and do not get too excited.
Asceticism, benevolence, tranquility of the mind, self-command, modesty,
simplicity and kindness are the doors to heaven. Vanity leads to the
destruction of all virtues”.
Yayati also describes the four ashramas of life. He defines muni as a mouni (observer of silence) who has withdrawn himself from all
worldly objects and barely sustains his life with whatever food is available in
the woods. Indifferent to happiness and misery and to honor and insult he
meditates and becomes one with Brahman.
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